Canacona

Located in the extreme south of Goa, Canacona was outside the Goa boundaries until the eighteenth century. Canacona includes places such as :Patnem,Chaudi,Poinguinim,Loliye,Agonda and Gaumdongre.The famous Palolem beach is located in this Taluka. Chaudi is the taluka headquarter and the most developed town in this taluka. Other attractions are Cotigao Sanctuary and the Parthagal math, a centuries-old monastry.
Travel infrastructure is sparse here, except along the main highway (NH17, National Highway 17, going from north to south of Canacona). You would need to be very adventurous to depend on the public buses to make your way around... unless you have a lot of patience or time.

Things to Do

Visits to Anjediva Island are permitted courtesy Station Commander Sea Bird Project. Such requests should be channeled through Fr. Britto D Silva Parish Priest St. Annes Church, Binaga Karwar. Tel No 08382 31132 and email address frbrittodsilva2002@yahoo.co.in Visits in future could be curtailed due to plans by the Navy to step up security.
To visit the Island from Goa one has to proceed by any bus going to Karwar or Mangalore, leaving in the morning. The journey is about 2-1/2 hrs. From the bus stand to Karwar Port, the charge is around Rs 15 for a shared-auto. A trawler takes you to Anjediv. You might need to alight into a small boat before reaching the shore, due to the shallowness of the island waters.<> Visits are usually around October or February, during local feasts.
Other things in and around Cancona:

• Beyond the better-known Palolem and Agonda, there are nearly 20 lesser-known (or even hidden) beaches. So what if you don't find hotels or restaurants there, the idea is fine if you want to escape from it all. In some cases, the road to the beach is nothing but a narrow track.
  
• Mallikarjun Temple, 2.5 kms away from Chaudi on the main-road leading to Karwar (take road going left) is where devotees head for advice from the oracles, interpreted on where flower-petals drop.
  
• Cotigao wildlife sanctuary is located within this area.
• Parthagal math is a five centuries-old monastery.
• Dolphin-watching and fishing trips are what attract foreign visitors to the area.
• Palolem, Agonda and the more deserted Cabo de Rama Fort are current hot-favourites. The first two are still not overdeveloped beach-villages. Cabo de Rama is a place for scenic views of the coast. You need your own transport to reach these places, since public buses are few and far between.
• Loliem has a couple of centuries-old 'hero' stones, etchings on stone to record historic events of the time dating back many centuries. This village's statue of Betal, possibly a pre-Hindu deity, itself goes back to the seventh century if not earlier, according to cultural-historian Phaldessai. Canacona has a total of four Betal deities, according to him.
• Canacona's contribution to Goan tourism is the idea of beach-huts -- temporary beachside thatched huts built on coconut trees usually above ground level, right on the beach, during the fair weather (October-May) season.

Where to Eat

Goa's emphasis on foreign tourists - all of them are assumed to be higher-spenders by those in business - means that destinations preferred by foreigners are more in the spotlight. Emphasis on the Westerner's food tastes also lends for either an exotic mix of cuisines, or, alternative, a tastelessly watered-down Goan/Indian cuisine.
Some places nonetheless manage to come out of this trap quite effectively.
Dilip Gaitonde's Palolem Beach Resort, bang on Canacona beach, offer a range from different cuisines. Goan dishes are the favourites. Others on Palolem beach itself include Draupadi (Israeli dishes too), German Bakery (health food, German cakes, pies, strudels, six-grain bread, croissants), Sameer Bar and Restaurant (seafood, Indian, Italian), Silver Star (fish tandoor, sizzlers, beef steak), Ciaran's Camp (pre-booked three-course dinner available), Fernandes Restaurant (Goan food, fresh juices), Cool Breeze ("food from around the world" with Jazz), Simba's, Boom Shankar, etc.
Look out for the other 'shacks' that make their appearance on the coastal stretch when the foreign tourist season starts.